According to the report just issued about the first incident USN ships tend to operate with radars off so that they are not radiating and are harder to detect; plus that class of ships have considerable stealth characteristics. So they can be hard to see, thus hard to avoid. That does not wholly explain either incident but may have contributed. The wisdom of this policy in peacetime in crowded sea lanes such as the Straits of Malacca may need to be re-evaluated.

Early reports say McCain was hit on the port side near the stern, implying she had the usual right of way unlike the first incident, in which the ship was struck on the starboard side and much further forward.

--Previous Message-- : This is very strange. We have the second : incident in two months with the same class : of ship. One wonders what the hell is going : on. : : George :